Aqua Publica Europea publishes a report on concrete actions by public water operators to foster confidence in tap water thus benefitting people and the planet

In the summer of 2019, the world reached peak temperatures with the hottest month on record and a series of unprecedented heatwaves sweeping EU countries. Hotter than ever summers underline the vital urgency of adequate hydration.

To highlight the actions undertaken by public water operators in Europe, during heatwaves and throughout the year, for access to water, the European association of public water operators, Aqua Publica Europea, launches today ‘Untapped: promoting tap water in Europe’, a collection of initiatives to promote and support the consumption of tap water.

Tap water is an excellent beverage option. Stringent requirements set in EU legislation, and 99% compliance, ensure its quality. Costing an average of about €2 for a year’s drinking supply, it is an affordable option, at least fifty times cheaper than bottled water. The ecological footprint is also low as it does not produce single-use plastic waste and does not require any greenhouse gas-generating ground or air transport. In other words, tap water is an alternative available 24 hours a day, delivered directly to us and good for our health, our finances and the planet.

President of Aqua Publica Europea Célia Blauel (President of Eau de Paris; Deputy Mayor of Paris) said: “Drinking tap water is an act of citizenship. It is the choice of a water of perfect quality, more economical and more ecological”.

Driven by their mission in the public interest, the members of Aqua Publica Europea consistently commit efforts and dedicate resources to raising awareness on the water cycle and the benefits of drinking tap water thus fostering public confidence in water. They also strive to support citizens’ access and consumption of waterthrough the wide deployment of public fountains and the distribution of reusable water bottles. Such objectives align fully with, and anticipate, the upcoming changes in EU legislation with the revision of the Drinking Water Directive. This new publication presents the diversity of initiatives.

Upon its tenth anniversary in 2019, Aqua Publica Europea celebrates ten years of public water operators’ commitments to working jointly based on the view that water is a common good that needs to be managed for the general interest by efficient public services.

Aqua Publica Europea is the European Association of Public Water Operators. For the past ten years, it has united publicly owned water and sanitation services working to promote public water management at European and international levels. Aqua Publica gathers 65 members serving more than 70 million people throughout Europe, in an operator-led association that looks for efficient solutions that serve the public rather than corporate interests.